


Torn

by lashtonirmings (randomusername)



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: F/M, High School AU, Love Triangle, non-celebrity AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-03 06:38:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4090786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomusername/pseuds/lashtonirmings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A love triangle, written for hemmocrat on tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Your shoulders sagged with exhaustion as you finally made it to your English class. You’d barely gotten any sleep last night, thanks to all the homework and your constant procrastination. By the time you finally got to sleep it felt like you’d only been lying down for a minute before your alarm was going off.

You sat down at your desk with a sigh, pulling out your notebook and a pen before resting your head in your hands.

Forty-one minutes. Just forty-one minutes and this day would be over.

“Rough night?” You perked up when you heard a familiar voice next to you. You picked up your head to see Luke Hemmings smiling at you from his seat beside yours.

“I guess you could say that,” you laughed softly. “I went to bed way too late.”

“We’ve all been there,” he chuckled and leaned back in his desk, stretching his long legs out underneath. “At least the day’s almost over.”

“Yeah,” you dumbly sighed as you watched him, lost in your own world until the bell rang and your teacher started speaking. You and Luke were friends, well, maybe more like acquaintances, if you were being honest. You had only just met when the school year began, and you’ve never really had a conversation that wasn’t some form of small talk. He seemed nice enough, though, and you were dying to get to know him better.

When class was over, you gathered your things and walked out of the class room, chatting idly with Luke as you both walked through the door.

“See you tomorrow, (Y/N),” he told you with a bright smile, nodding once before turning to walk down the hall.

You had no idea how long you stood there watching him, but before you knew it he was gone and you felt a strong arm wrap around your shoulder.

“Earth to (Y/N),” you recognized Michael’s voice and elbowed him in the ribs. Michael was your best friend and next-door neighbor, and he drove you to and from school every day. “Are you ready to go, or do you want to continue staring down the hall?”

“Shut up,” you mumbled, feeling your cheeks heat up as Michael led you out to his car. The walk to the parking lot was silent as you fell into your own thoughts, which were mostly about Luke.

“Should I even ask what you were looking at?” He broke the silence as he opened the passenger door for you, closing it when you were safely inside.

You waited until he was in the driver’s seat before you shook your head, turning to stare out of the window. He already knew about your infatuation with Luke, and you weren’t in the mood for his teasing right now. You resolved to tell him later.

He switched on the radio and began to hum under his breath as the sound of Billie Joe Armstrong’s voice filled the silence.

When you got to your house, he parked the car and got out behind you, following you into your house. “Are you okay, (Y/N)? You seem a little… spaced out.”

“I’m fine,” you told him, watching as he eyed you suspiciously. “I’m just worried about my English test tomorrow.”

“(Y/N), how long have we been friends?” He asked you, folding his arms over his chest.

“Um, a long time,” you sighed.

“Exactly. Long enough for me to know when you’re giving me a bullshit lie.”

“Michael, can we not do this?” You groaned, turning away from him so that he couldn’t read the expression on your face. From the moment you met, he’d always had an ability to see right through you. Most of the time you love it. Right now, however, you hated it. “I just really don’t want to talk about it. It’s not important.”

“Fine. whatever you say,” he conceded as he walked over to you, hugging you from behind and resting his cheek on the top of your head. He lingered for a few moments before he let you go and made his way to the door. “I guess I’ll see you later then.”

You followed him to the door and shut it behind him, leaning against it and letting out a sigh as you walked back into the kitchen.

* * *

You were in your bedroom with the lights on, reading the next chapter of  _1984_ for your English class when you heard a familiar tapping at your window. You sighed and waited for it to stop, turning the page and reading the same sentence three times over before you closed your book with a groan.

When you got to the window, you opened it to find Michael standing in your backyard.

“What is it, Mike?” You called down, your annoyance fading away as a smile crept onto your face.

“Open the door, I’ve been knocking for centuries.”

You closed your window and raced down the stairs, opening the front door just as Michael made his way around the house. He stepped inside and hugged you tightly, even though you’d just seen him when he dropped you off after school a few hours ago.

“What’s so important?” You asked when he let you go.

“Nothing really,” he shrugged, walking through your house to the kitchen. He walked over to the fridge and looked inside, staring blankly for a minute before closing it without taking anything. “Just wanted to hang out with you.”

You sighed, rubbing at your face tiredly. “Michael, I would love to hang out but you know I have that test in English tomorrow. I have to read.”

“Fine,” he said with a shrug. “You read and I’ll watch you read. We’ll have a sleepover.”

Knowing that there was no point in further argument, you turned toward the stairs, making a beeline for your room as Michael followed. You watched as Michael walked past you and threw himself down onto your queen-sized bed, kicking off his shoes and getting comfortable as you picked up your book and took a seat at your desk, scribbling down notes as you read.

You worked in silence for a few minutes before you heard him speak up again. “Speaking of your English class… has anything happened with that guy yet?” You knew Michael was referring to Luke. He was probably the best looking guy in your whole grade, but he was shy and mostly kept to himself. You’d had a massive crush on him for a few months now, but you hadn’t yet gathered up the courage to say anything meaningful to him.

At Michael’s question you set down your pen and turned in your chair so that you were facing him. He turned his head to look at you as you tucked your hair behind your ear nervously. “No,” you shook your head, “but we talked a little bit in class today, and when the bell rang we walked out of the room together.”

 “Is that was you were thinking about on the ride home, then?  _Him_?” MIchael asked you, his tone level and a disconcertingly unreadable.

 “Yeah,” you admitted, “I don’t know why but I can’t stop thinking about him lately. Maybe I could talk to him after the test tomorrow.” You considered this plan, getting lost in your own world for a moment as you continued to think aloud. “Ask him if he thinks he did well or not. Then we could talk about George Orwell and at some point he’ll realize he’s in love with me and ask me to marry him.”

Michael gave you an incredulous look and you shrugged before adding, “Or something.”

“Solid plan,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, come on,” you got up from your chair and walked over to the bed, sitting next to where he was laying against your pillows, throwing your teddy bear into the air and catching it.

He tossed the toy up once more, but before he could catch it again you intercepted it, holding it in your lap. “You know I’m no good at talking to boys, Mike.”

“Sure, but you shouldn’t  _have_  to be. If a guy likes you, he won’t make you work so hard for his attention.”

You took a moment to consider what Michael had said. He had a point. You and Luke had spoken a few times, but it didn’t seem like he had any particular interest in you. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should just give up on Luke.”

“Maybe,” Michael reached for the bear in your hands and resumed his solo game of catch as you became lost in your own thoughts. “Or, maybe you could just lay it all on the line. Tell him how you feel. It’s not like there’s a friendship at stake if things turn out awkward.”

“That’s true, maybe I’ll do that…” You said, mostly to yourself, as you leaned over Michael to switch off your bedside lamp. You both got under the covers and settled in for the night. You closed your eyes and tried to sleep, even though you knew that your thoughts were going to keep you awake for at least another hour.

The room was silent for a short while before Michael spoke again.

 “Remember in eighth grade when you had that immense crush on… what was his name again? Joey? Jake?”

“His name was Jared Miller and I was so sure that he was the love of my life,” you answered, rolling your eyes. “Why are you bringing this up?”

 “Because,” Michael sighed, turning onto his side to face you. “I remember how in love with him you were and how he turned you down, devastating you. It really hurt me to see you so upset and I don’t want that to happen to you again.”

 Your stomach churned at the memory and you flopped onto your back, staring at the ceiling. “I appreciate the concern, Mike, but things aren’t that serious with Luke. And, if we’re being honest, there’s a chance they never will be. I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

 “Maybe,” he yawned as you turned onto your other side. “I just want you to be careful, okay?”

You mumbled a quick response and closed your eyes, pulling the covers up to your shoulder. Then you felt Michael drape his arm over your waist and pull you close as he moved in closer behind you.

“You’re such a cuddler,” you laughed and he pinched your side.

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

* * *

When you woke the next morning, the clock on your nightstand read 6:42.

You struggled out of Michael’s arms and sat up in bed, rubbing your face tiredly. “Michael,” you shook him awake, “you have to go home and get ready for school now.”

“Five more minutes,” he grumbled, turning away from you and burying his face in the pillow beneath his head.

“No, Mikey, get up now.” You scolded him, growing frustrated. After thirty more seconds of trying to wake him, your annoyance got the better of you and you pushed him off of the bed and onto the floor. He hit the ground with a loud thud, followed by a muffled groan.

“Ugh, what the hell, (Y/N)?” He asked as he rolled over onto his back.

“I don’t want you to be late again! You know you’re only three tardies away from suspension.”

“But pushing me off of the bed?” He asked, rubbing at the back of his head as he shuffled to his feet. “Was that really necessary?”

You shrugged, getting out of bed and pushing him toward the door. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. Now go home, get showered and dressed, and I’ll meet you out front in thirty.”

He tiredly saluted you as he allowed you to push him out of your room. He let himself out and you smiled when you heard your parents greeting him as he walked out the front door.

When it was finally time to head to school, he was sitting on your driveway in his car, waiting for you. You could hear the AC/DC blasting through the speakers before you even opened the passenger door. You got into the car to find Michael drumming on the steering wheel, aviator shades on over his eyes.

You made a face at the offbeat rhythm he was making. “Stick to the guitar, bud. You’re much better at it.”

He stuck his tongue out at you before backing out of your driveway and heading off to your school.

On the ride there, both of you sang along with the music, but, of course, he was a lot louder than you were. He had always been that way, ever since you met him. He was the loudest person you knew, and while a lot of people found that to be annoying, you thought it added to his charm.

What you didn’t notice was Michael glancing over at you at every stoplight. You didn’t notice how he smiled at the sound of your voice singing along with him. You weren’t aware of the reason he insisted on driving you to school every day and bringing you home. Or why he was always so eager to hang out with you even if you were just doing homework. You didn’t know that Michael was in love with you.

When you pulled into your school’s parking lot, he parked the car and you both got out, walking so closely that your shoulders were brushing. Just as the two of you made it to your locker, Luke walked past you, offering a smile as he went. You felt your heart skip a beat, and as soon as Luke turned the corner you looked to Michael.

“Did you see that, Mike? He just smiled at me. That’s a good sign, right?”

“Maybe,” Michael shrugged, leaning against the lockers at his back. “Or maybe he’s just a friendly guy.”

“You’re right,” you sighed, grabbing your textbooks and closing the locker. “I guess I’ll find out when I talk to him after our English test later.”

“Guess so,” Michael agreed and followed along behind you.

* * *

When it was finally time for English, your last class of the day, you were nervous but excited to finally ask Luke out.

You could hardly focus on your test, but you knew that you got all of the answers right, despite Michael interrupting your studying. When it was over, you waited for the bell to ring before catching Luke in the hall.

“Hey, Luke!” You called, and he turned around, a shy smile on his face.

“Hi, (Y/N), what’s up?”

“I actually wanted to talk to you about something,” you felt your nerves return as you tried to will yourself to keep speaking. “I wanted to ask if you maybe wanted to go out sometime? I know we haven’t really spoken much, but I like you, and I would love to get to know you better.” You pulled out a slip of paper from your pocket and put it into his hand. “This is my phone number. You can call me if you want to do anything, or not. That would be okay, too.”

You couldn’t even wait for an answer before you strode off, leaving Luke to watch you walk away with a confused expression on his face.

* * *

After school, you and Michael were at your house, watching TV on the couch as you told him about your encounter with Luke.

“So, what did he say?” Michael asked. He sounded slightly bored of this topic, but you knew he didn’t mind talking with you about it. He  _was_ your best friend in the world, after all.

“Oh, uh, nothing yet. I didn’t really give him a chance to answer me.” At Michael’s raised eyebrow you decided to clarify. “I figured if I gave him time to think about it, he might say yes, since we barely know each other I didn’t want to just spring it on him and expect an immediate answer. Trust me, it makes sense.”

“Pfft, maybe to you,” he scoffed, grabbing the remote and changing the channel. “I’m happy for you and everything, but can we talk about something else now?”

“What’s wrong with you, Michael?” You asked him, taking the remote back and turning off the TV. He had been acting strangely all day, ever since Luke walked past the two of you this morning. “Are you upset about something?”

 “I don’t know, I guess I’m just not really in the mood to hear about how great you think this guy is when I know I’m going to be the one who has to pick up the pieces when he breaks your heart.”

 You felt totally blindsided by Michael’s sudden change in attitude. “What are you even talking about?” You asked him, trying to understand.

“Don’t worry about it, (Y/N),” he sighed, getting up from the couch. He grabbed his denim jacket from where he’d draped it over a chair as he headed for the door. “See you later.”

You were at a loss for words. You couldn’t remember a time when Michael had ever been so dismissive with you and you wanted answers. You leapt up from the couch and followed him into the front yard. “Michael, what the hell? You’ve been acting weird all day and I want to know why.” You reached out for him, putting your hand on his shoulder and turning him around. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“ _You_  are.” His eyes were shining, as if he were on the verge of tears, and seeing him like this instantly broke your heart.

You were at a loss for words. You had no idea what you’d done, but you were determined to do whatever it took to make it right. “Wh— _me_? What did I do?”

He sighed, running a hand through his wild black hair. “You’re wasting your time on guys like Luke who don’t really care about you, when I’m right here and I—”

You could feel tears brimming in your eyes as you waited for him to go on. “And you what?”

“I’m in love with you!” He blurted the words out before he could change his mind.

You felt as though you’d been kicked in the gut. Michael? In love with you? When had this happened?

“I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.” When you heard him speak you realized you’d been speaking out loud. “You’re my first thought when I wake up, and the last thing on my mind before I go to sleep, I love the fact that you always try so hard to study but can never last more than five minutes. I love the way you sometimes talk in your sleep, and the fact that you care so much about the people around you. I love that you know me better than anyone on Earth, and I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. Maybe I’m just tired of watching you get walked all over by guys who don’t care about you. (Y/N),” he stepped closer to you, taking one of your hands in his, “I love you, and I have for a long, long time.”

You didn’t know what to say. You could hear the sincerity and emotion in his words, but for some reason, you couldn’t bring yourself to make a sound. You opened your mouth to speak just as your phone started to ring. You didn’t notice it until Michael pointed it out.

“Are you going to get that?”

You wiped at the few tears that had fallen, finally snapping out of your trance. “What?”

“Your phone. It’s ringing.”

“Oh,” you stepped away from Michael and slipped your hand into your back pocket, not even looking at your phone as you answered it, glad for the momentary distraction.

Michael watched you as you talked, wondering who had called but wondering even more how you were going to react to what he’d just told you. He’d wanted to tell you for a while, but never thought he’d actually have the courage to do it. When you hung up the phone and turned back to him, his heart broke at the sight of you, eyes red and teary and cheeks flushed.

“So?” He asked, nodding toward your phone.

“That was Luke,” you said through a watery smile. “Calling to ask me out on a date with him.”


	2. Chapter 2

_“Are you going to get that?”_

Your head was spinning when you heard Michael’s voice, pulling you out of your thoughts. “What?”

 “Your phone. It’s ringing.”

 “Oh,” you picked up the phone and held it to your ear, breathing out shakily as you tried to gather your thoughts. “Hello?”

 “(Y/N)? It’s, uh, it’s Luke.”

 You felt a mixture of excitement and dread sink into the pit of your stomach when you heard Luke’s voice. “Hey, Luke, what’s up?” You asked, keeping your voice down so that Michael wouldn’t hear. You took a quick glance over your shoulder and saw that he was watching as you talked, waiting for you to finish.

 “I was thinking about what you told me in English earlier today, and I think you’re right. It would be great to get to know each other better. Do you want to go to a movie or something? We could get some dinner afterwards, make a night of it.”

 You smiled, momentarily forgetting the disaster that you were currently stuck in. “That sounds amazing, Luke.” You told him, although it just didn’t feel right to give him a definite answer when Michael was waiting to finish your talk. “I would really love that. But can I call you back in a little bit? We can iron out the details then.”

 “Sounds perfect. Talk to you later, (Y/N).”

 You hung up the phone and took a few moments to collect your thoughts before you turned back to Michael. He stood in front of you with an expectant look on his face.

 “So?” He nodded toward your phone and your stomach churned as you tried to think of a way to tell him. Ultimately, you decided that it was best to be honest.

 “That was Luke. Calling to ask me out on a date.” You tried to smile to mask your nerves, but you didn’t need to see your reflection to know you were barely pulling it off. Michael’s expression changed from nervous to hurt to indifferent as he tried to hide what he was feeling. Although you knew him too well for him to be able to hide from you.

 “Well, what did you tell him?”

 You shrugged helplessly. “I told him that I’ll call him back.”

 Michael’s expression changed into confusion and he furrowed his brow. “Why did you do that?”

 “I think it’s pretty obvious that we’re in the middle of something here.”

 “Yeah, exactly,” Michael said, waving his hands as if that would help him illustrate his point. “Why wouldn’t you just say no?”

 “Because I didn’t want to?” You didn’t know what to say, you thought for a moment or two before you realized that there may be no way to get out of this without hurting someone. And as much as you didn’t want that person to be Michael, he was really getting on your case and you hated it when he did that. “You know how long I’ve been wanting to go out with Luke.”

 “But, (Y/N),” Michael really looked angry now and you were fighting hard to stand your ground. “What about everything I just told you?”

 “What about it, Michael?” You asked, raising your voice. “Why should I have to drop everything and shower you with affection just because you decided that today would be the day that you finally decided to tell me how you feel? You could have told me at any time, but now that you’ve decided to speak up I have to give you my undivided attention? That’s not fair.”

 Michael shook his head at you. “What isn’t fair is you making me listen to how in love with this guy you are when you don’t even know him! It’s unfair that you’re going to run off with him like I don’t even matter when I’m the one who loves you!”

 “It’s not my fault that you’re so jealous!” The words came out before you could stop them, and as soon as you spoke them you wanted to take them back.

 The angry look on Michael’s face dissolved into hurt and his eyes began to shine with unshed tears, but he blinked them away. “Jealous, right.” He repeated with a mocking laugh. “That makes sense.”

 “Michael, wait, I didn’t mean it like that.” You tried to explain, stepping closer to him, but he took another step back, wrenching his hand away from yours.

 “Whatever, (Y/N), have fun with your Prince Charming, alright? And when he breaks your heart don’t come crying to me.” With that Michael turned and walked next door to his own house, and you could only stand frozen, watching until he walked through the front door and was out of sight.

 You went back into your house and made a beeline for your bedroom, slamming the door behind you and burying yourself under the covers before you could let yourself over think what had just happened.

 

* * *

 

When you got to your English class the next day, you were exhausted, but not because you went to bed late. You had been thinking about Michael all night and when you finally got out of bed, you only felt worse when you didn’t see a good morning text from Michael on your phone. You got ready and rode the bus to school, feeling like you were missing out on his loud singing and terrible drumming.

You sat down at your desk and rested your head in your hands, letting out a sigh. It hadn’t even been a full day since Michael stopped talking to you, but you missed him. You missed him but you didn’t know how to approach him without making things worse.

“(Y/N)?” You lifted your head to find Luke sitting in his desk beside yours, giving you a concerned look. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, not really wanting to get into it again.

“So, about last night,” he started nervously, “you never did call me back.”

“Oh, wow, I completely forgot, Luke, I’m so sorry.” You apologized, hoping you sounded sincere. After your fight with Michael, Luke was the furthest thing from your mind. “The timing suddenly doesn’t feel right, maybe we could—”

 “It’s alright,” he waved you off, “I’ll be ready whenever you are. Don’t worry about it.”

 You felt relieved; he seemed genuinely okay with you slowing things down. Maybe because he could see that you were clearly upset about something. “You know what? I’m fine. Why don’t we go see that movie tonight?” You offered, smiling when Luke’s blue eyes lit up.

 “That sounds amazing,” he answered. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

 You smiled, feeling those familiar butterflies in your stomach return. “Perfect.”

 

* * *

 

When it was time for you to go on your date with Luke, you were still in your room getting ready when the doorbell rang. You threw your hair into a quick ponytail before grabbing a jacket and your purse before rushing down the stairs, hoping to beat your parents to the door. When you made it to the bottom, you wondered if your legs were going to be cold in the theater, as the shorts you wore didn’t offer that much protection.

 You opened the door to find Luke on the other side, hands in his pockets as he flashed you a wide grin. “Hey, Luke,” you greeted him, stepping aside so that he could come in. “I was just about to run back upstairs and change, I don’t think my outfit is warm enough for the movies.”

 “Don’t worry,” he said, not moving from where he stood. “I think you’ll be okay.”

 “Are you sure?” You asked, looking down at your clothes.

 Luke only smiled and nodded his head. “Yes, (Y/N), you look great. Are you ready to go?”

 “Definitely.” You shouted a quick goodbye to your parents before heading out of the door, following Luke down to the curb where he’d parked his car. After he opened the passenger door for you, you both got into the car and he pulled away from your house.

 “So, what are we going to see?” You asked him as you watched the passing landscape outside of your window.

 “Uh, there’s actually been a slight change of plans.” Luke answered, smiling coyly as he kept his eyes on the road.

 “Oh,” you said, trying to mask your confusion. “What are we going to do, then?”

 “I’ll tell you when we get there.” He spared a glance at you to gauge the reaction on your face, and when he saw that you were still confused he laughed a little. “You’ll have fun, I promise.”

 “Alright,” you sighed and leaned back in your seat, deciding to trust him.

 On the ride to your destination, the radio played and you listened delightedly as Luke sang along. He was such a great singer, which was something you hadn’t known about him. One song ended, and another began after it, the guitar riff at the beginning reminding you that this was Michael’s favorite song. You smiled at the sound of it before you remembered the way things were with Michael. A heavy feeling of regret settled in your gut and you hadn’t realized your change in mood was so obvious until Luke was holding your hand.

 “Are you alright, (Y/N)?”

You lifted your head to see him looking at you with concern, his brow knitted together. The red glow of the stoplight in front of you was shining on his face and highlighted the clarity of his blue eyes.

“You’ve got me worried that my attempt at spontaneity is coming off more like I want to drive you into the woods and kill you.”

 You laughed at that and shook your head. “It’s not that, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

 “You sure?” He asked, still serious. “We can turn around and go to the movies if that’s what you really want.”

 “I’m sure, Luke,” you promised, squeezing his hand.

 “Okay,” he breathed a sigh of relief before the light changed to green and he continued the drive.

 A short while later you arrived at the beach and he walked around the car to open your door for you before taking your hand and helping you out of the car.

 “So, what’s the plan?” You asked, folding your arms over your chest to fight off the chilly ocean air.

 He popped the trunk of his car and pulled out a net bag that you could see was full of plastic beach toys. In his other hand, he held a large bucket.

 “We are going to build sandcastles and see whose is better.”

 You grinned and stifled a laugh as he walked toward you, holding out a pail with a shovel in it. “So it’s a contest, then?”

 “Sure is,” he smiled, slamming his trunk. “Winner gets to pick where we have our next date.”

 “ _Next_ date?” You asked, raising your eyebrows. “You’re feeling pretty confident, aren’t you?”

 “Maybe just a little,” he answered with a shrug as he walked over to you. “These are for you,” he said, handing you your supplies. He then put the bag with the remaining supplies into the bucket and used his free hand to hold yours.

 The sun was still pretty high in the sky, but you could see orange hues beginning to rise where the sea met the sky.

 “So,” you broke the silence as you turned to look at Luke, his profile highlighted by the glowing orange sun, “this is your big date move, huh? Sandcastles?”

 Luke laughed and shrugged as you walked along the sand. “I wouldn’t say that. I’ve never done this with anyone else. Maybe I’ll make this my ‘big move’ if this date goes well.”

 You smiled and shook your head, but the thought of Luke going out with anyone else made you feel just a little bit jealous.

 Before long, he stopped walking, gripping your hand so that you’d stop, too.

 “This looks like a pretty good spot.” He said, dumping the bucket and walking toward the ocean. “Do me a favor and dig a hole for this.” He said, holding up the bucket.

 You nodded and knelt down in the sand, using your shovel to dig a big enough hole to accommodate Luke’s bucket. When he returned, he lowered the bucket into the hole you’d dug and breathed a heavy sigh. You looked over and oticed that it was full of water.

 “What’s this for?” You asked as you looked up at him, squinting your eyes against the setting sun.

 “So we don’t have to run back and forth for water.”

 You nodded, “That’s pretty smart of you.”

 He shrugged, “No, not really, it’s a trick I learned from my older brother.” He knelt in the sand across from you and emptied the net bag in between the two of you. “We can share the rest of this stuff. Not that I’ll need it.” He added with a smirk, which made you roll your eyes.

 “We’ll see if you’re still saying that when I beat you.”

 “You sure you’re gonna beat me? I already have an idea of what I want us to do for our next date.”

 You lifted your head to look at him, smiling, “Please, do tell.”

 “What? And ruin the surprise? No way! But I will let you know that it involves Halloween costumes and loud singing.”

 “Sounds horrible,” you chuckled, shoveling more sand into your pail.

 You both laughed and began building your sandcastles. While you built, you made jokes, talked about school, and got to know each other better.

 “So,” Luke started as he turned his pail upside down on the sand. “How long have you and Michael been friends?” He lifted the pail and gave a haughty laugh when his molded sand stayed in place.

 You rolled your eyes at his competitiveness. “Since we were kids. Most of our lives, really.”

 “Wow,” he commented as he pressed more wet sand into a seahorse-shaped mold. “So you guys are super close, then?”

 “Yup,” you answered noncommittally, not really wanting to think about Michael.

 “To be honest, before you asked me out, I thought he was your boyfriend,” Luke said with a short laugh as he turned out the seahorse he’d made and placed it beside his other masses of sand. You weren’t sure what kind of castle he was trying to make, but you were almost certain that whatever it was, yours was better.

 You laughed as well and shook your head. “No, he’s just a friend.”

 “I was more than a little relieved when I figured that out.”

 You looked up from your sandcastle to find Luke looking at you as he spoke.

 “Even though we hadn’t really gotten much of a chance to talk before you asked me out, I had a pretty huge crush on you.”

 “Had?” You asked, wanting to roll your eyes at yourself for saying that out loud.

 “I still do,” Luke gave another small laugh as he shifted closer to you in the sand, moving past both your sandcastles so that he could sit down next to you. “I never said anything because I didn’t want you to think I didn’t respect what you had with Michael.”

 When you opened your mouth to correct him, he spoke again, “Which, I now know is nothing.”

 It was quiet for just a moment before he spoke again. “I really like you, (Y/N), and I’m sorry it took me so long to say anything about it.”

 You felt your cheeks heating up as Luke watched your face for any kind of reaction. You didn’t know what to say, so you shrugged and shifted closer to him in the sand. “Better late than never.”

 The two of you watched one another for a second before Luke leaned in, closing the distance between you with a kiss. You felt one of his sandy hands brush your knee as he moved closer still, his other hand resting on your back.

 You kissed him back, your hands on his shoulders as you forgot about everything in the world aside from the feel of his lips on yours.

 You were broken out of your moment by a passing old woman who’d stopped to admire your work.

 “My, what lovely sandcastles!” She exclaimed, looking at the structures you had managed to build.

 “Thanks,” you said to her, hoping your cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.

 “If you had to pick, which would you say is better?” Luke asked her, turning to you with a smug grin.

 “Hm,” she seemed to be seriously thinking over her answer before she pointed to Luke’s and said, “definitely this one. It has such character!”

 Your jaw dropped when Luke gave a triumphant laugh.

 “Thank you, have a good night,” he said to the woman as she turned to go about her way. “So, looks like I won.”

 You shook your head at him, although you couldn’t stop the smile on your face.

 “In addition to getting to pick our next date, I think I deserve an extra prize.”

 “You’re a really graceful winner, aren’t you?” You asked, laughing as he stood and extended his hand to help you up.

 “Most of the time,” he answered, putting his hands on your hips and pulling you closer. “Now, about this extra prize,” he said, eyes darting down to your lips. “I would like to claim it now.” He leaned forward and kissed you again, this time with less uncertainty. He held you close to him as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

 When he broke the kiss, he leaned back to look at you, the faintest blush coloring his cheeks. “You ready to go?”

 You nodded and almost regretted it when he stepped away to collect all of your supplies. You helped him retrieve everything and held his hand as you walked back to his car.

 At some point on the ride home his hand found yours and he laced your fingers together, not missing a beat in the conversation you’d been having. He held your hand tightly, enough that you felt secure and wanted, but not so much that it was uncomfortable.

 When you finally got back to your house, it was well after nine and he walked you to your front door where he kissed you again. “So, about that next date,” he said, smiling like an idiot when you rolled your eyes.

 “What do you have in mind?” You asked, trying to sound annoyed, but failing miserably. It wasn’t your fault that you were excited and terrible at hiding it.

 “I was thinking we could have a movie night, since we didn’t get to see one tonight. What do you think?”

 “Sounds like a good time,” you answered, glad that he wasn’t going to make you do anything ridiculous like he’d suggested before. “We can have it here.”

 “Great, how about tomorrow night?”

 Your smile faltered for just a moment when you remembered that Saturdays were usually the night that you can Michael had movie night at his house. You shook the thought from your head, reminding yourself that Michael was upset with you, and probably didn’t want to hang out with you right now.

 “That’s perfect,” you answered, smiling when Luke’s eyes lit up.

 “I’ll see you tomorrow night, then,” Luke leaned in and kissed you once more before letting you go and turning to walk back to his car.

 

* * *

 

The next night, you were in your living room, setting up for your movie night with Luke when the doorbell rang. You rushed over to answer it, thinking to yourself that he was arriving at the perfect time.

 “Hey,” you said as you opened the door, but the smile fell from your face when you saw who was standing on your porch. “Michael? What are you doing here?”

 He raised an eyebrow at you before walking into your house and seeing all that you’d set up in your living room. “Well, we usually have movie night at my house, but seeing as you’re all set up over here I don’t mind a little change of pace.”

 “What?” You asked, still confused. “But I thought—”

 “Did you really think that I was going to let that fight ruin our friendship?” He asked, trying to sound nonchalant. After a moment he sighed and took on a more serious tone. “I really miss you, and I’ve been fighting with myself to stay away from you these past few days. Sure, I was upset, hell, I still am, but tradition is tradition and Saturday is movie night.”

 “Michael, I—”

 Before you could complete your thought the doorbell rang again and you closed your eyes and sighed, begging for the floor to open up and swallow you whole.

 Michael’s expression changed as his eyes moved from you to the door and back. “Are you expecting someone?”

 You didn’t know how to answer, so you walked over to the door and opened it to find Luke on the other side.

 “Hey, (Y/N),” he said, cheerfully as he leant down to kiss you softly. He then walked into your house but stopped when he saw Michael standing in your living room.

 “Oh, hey, Michael,” he said, turning back to look at you.

 “(Y/N)?” He asked, his voice devoid of any discernable emotion.

 “Luke and I have a date tonight.” You told him, but he still seemed confused, so you added, “Here.”

 You and Michael stared at one another for a moment before he nodded and walked over to the door. “Right, sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ll leave.”

 “Michael, wait!” He started for the door and you followed him, grabbing onto his wrist when you caught up to him on the driveway. When he felt your hand on him, he turned to look at you, his eyes reflecting all of the hurt he felt. “I’m sorry for what I said to you the other night, and for everything, really.”

 He gave a wan smile and nodded, taking a step back. “Yeah. Me, too. But you made your choice. I just have to learn to deal with it. Admittedly, that would be a lot easier if I didn’t care so much about you, but I guess it’ll get easier as we go.”

 You had no idea what to say, you weren’t expecting to hear from him at all, let alone anything like that. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Michael. I hope you know that.”

 He looked at you and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I do. It’s just easier for me to pretend like I don’t.”

 You stood in silence for a few seconds before he spoke again. “Don’t worry about it, okay? We’re still friends, it’s just… it’s gonna take a while before… y’know.” He made a gesture with his hands before sighing and running a hand through his hair. “We’re fine. I’m fine. Just—enjoy your date.”

 You stood on your driveway and watched as Michael walked back into his own house and went inside.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a few days since you last saw Michael.

Even though he assured you that the two of you were still friends, you were beginning to wonder if he really meant what he’d said; if it wasn’t as easy for him to be around you as he made it seem.

“(Y/N)?” You were pulled from your thoughts by Luke squeezing your hand. “Is something the matter?”

You were in your school’s library together, trying to study for an upcoming English test, but you couldn’t focus on anything other than the way Michael had been avoiding you.

“I’m sorry, Luke,” you apologized, turning your eyes down to the book in your hand. “I’ve just been thinking about Michael a lot lately. I feel so terrible.”

“Is this about the movie night?” Luke asked, closing his book and taking yours out of your hands and setting it aside.

“No, actually,” you sighed, letting Luke take your other hand in his. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”

“Well, if you want to talk about it, you know you can tell me anything.”

You looked up into Luke’s blue eyes and felt your stomach flip at the sight of their honesty and caring. You shook your head. “I don’t really know if it’s an appropriate thing to discuss with your boyfriend.”

One of Luke’s eyebrows raised slightly and you couldn’t stop the smile in your face. “Boyfriend, huh?” He asked, boyish grin betraying any amount of calm he may have had.

You laughed, resisting the urge to roll your eyes at him. “Yes, boyfriend.”

“Well then,” Luke stood and walked around the table, pulling out the chair beside yours and sitting down in it. He put an arm around you and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on the side of your head. “As your  _boyfriend_ , I would really to know what’s bothering you. Maybe I can help.”

You looked at him for a moment before sighing in defeat. “Fine,” you turned to look at him, “but you better not start acting weird after I tell you.”

“I will try not to,” Luke squeezed your hand again, urging you to go on.

“A few weeks ago, Michael confessed to me that he’s in love with me.”

Both of Luke’s eyebrows shot up at that, but he didn’t say anything right away. After a few moments of silence, he open his mouth, closed it, reopened it and then spoke. “What did you say to him?”

“He knew that I had a huge crush on you, so I’m sure he wasn’t surprised when I told him I didn’t feel the same way.”

“Okay,” Luke nodded along, “so it ended at that?”

“Not exactly,” you sighed, dreading having to relive this part of the story. “When you called me to ask me out, I was still with him. When I told him that I didn’t turn you down, he got upset with me.”

“Upset  _how_?” Luke asked, concern flaring in the blue depths of his eyes.

You reached out for him, cupping his stubbly cheek in your hand. “Probably not the way you’re thinking.” Leaning forward, you brushed a soft kiss over his lips to reassure him.

He reached one of his hands up to cover yours, brushing his thumb over the back of your hand. “Okay, go on.”

“He thought that his confession would somehow make me fall in love with him, and when it didn’t, he was confused, which I understand. But instead of trying to talk it out like a good friend, I accused him of being jealous of you.”

Luke made a pained face at that and cringed.

“I know, I know,” you shook your head at the memory. “He stormed off and we didn’t speak for a few days until he showed up at our movie night.”

Luke’s face straightened out as he remembered how upset you were that night. “What happened?”

“Saturdays are usually the night when Michael and I watch movies at his house, but since he and I were fighting, I didn’t think he’d still want to spend time with me.”

“And then he showed up.” Luke filled in the blank.

You nodded, feeling your stomach churn again, for a different reason this time. “He was so hurt. He tried so hard to convince me that everything was fine, but I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t okay.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Luke asked, holding both of your hands in his.

“I don’t know,” you confessed with a shrug, “I didn’t want to put a damper on our night.”

You turned your gaze away from Luke, closing your eyes.

“Hey,” he gently lifted your chin with his hand, causing you to open your eyes to meet his gaze. “I’m here for you, okay? No matter what. I don’t care if you think you’re going to ruin the mood, or upset me or something. If you’re unhappy I want to know about it.”

You nodded and he pulled you into a hug, wrapping his arms around you tightly.

“So,” he said as he leaned back. “What are you going to do about Michael?”

“I don’t know,” you shrugged, “I guess I could talk to him later today. If only to see how he’s doing.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Luke smiled at you before giving your hand a squeeze and getting back to work.

-/-

After school, you walked over to Michael’s house and rang the doorbell.

You waited for a few minutes before there was an answer.

“Oh, (Y/N)!” Michael’s mother greeted you, pulling you into a hug. “I haven’t seen you around in a little bit.”

“I know,” you cringed as you answered awkwardly. “I know Michael isn’t home yet, but do you think you could give him a message for me?”

“Of course,” she nodded, leaning up against the door.

“Tell him that I’m sorry for everything and that I miss him.”

She gave you a sad smile and nodded, promising to pass on the message before you turned to go back to your house.

-/-

It was a few hours later when you heard you heard a knock at your door. You didn’t bother getting up from the couch, figuring one of your parents would get it.

When the knocking persisted, you got up with a sigh and trudged over to the door. When you opened it, you found Luke on the other side.

“Hey, (Y/N),” he smiled at you, leaning in to kiss your cheek.

“Oh, hi,” you answered, stepping aside to let him into your house.

“You sound disappointed,” he joked, “expecting someone else?”

You nodded, feeling that there was so use in lying. “Yeah, I’ve been waiting all day to hear from Michael.”

“You didn’t see him after school earlier?”

“No,” you sighed, wrapping your arms around Luke’s waist when he hugged you. “I don’t know what to do.”

Luke’s arms around your shoulders squeezed you a little tighter. “Just go over there now.” He checked his watch. “There’s no way he isn’t home from school yet.”

You looked up at him, “But you just got here.”

“And I’ll be here when you come back.” He reasoned, pushing you toward the door.

“Wait,” you turned around before he could push you out. “Why is fixing my friendship with Michael so important to you?”

“Because,” he shrugged, “it’s important to  _you_.” He gave you a kiss on the forehead and pushed you the rest of the way out.

On the walk over to Michael’s house, you felt nervous and conflicted. What if he didn’t want to see you? What if you only made things worse? Your mind continued to race as you approached the front door and knocked on it three times.

You waited for a little while before the door opened and Michael stood on the other side.

“(Y/N),” he said, his voice devoid of any discernible emotion.

“Hi,” you responded awkwardly, feeling like you were making a mistake. “Can we talk, Michael?”

He seemed to be thinking it over as he stared at you for a few moments before nodding and stepping outside, closing the door behind him.

You sat down on his porch and waited for him to sit beside you, breathing a slight sigh of relief when he did.

“What’s up?” He asked, staring at some point off the distance ahead of him.

You turned to look at him, your eyes following his profile down from his eyebrow piercing to his lips to the slight stubble on his chin.

“I miss you, Michael.” You weren’t prepared for the rush of emotion that flooded you with that simple admission but you tried not to get emotional

As you went on. “I know things are really messed up and confusing right now, but I miss you. I miss my best friend.”

“You do?” He asked, voice quiet as he finally turned to look at you.

“Of  _course_  I do!” You insisted. “There’s been no one to talk to, no one to sing obnoxiously on the ride to school, no one rudely distracting me from studying, no one telling me stupid jokes, or nearly breaking my window throwing rocks at it. I miss all of that.”

He looked at you for a long moment before looking away. “I wish I could say the same.” He sighed, getting up from the porch and walking away from you.

You felt as though you’d been sucker punched in the gut.  _Was it really too late?_ How were you supposed to go on without having your best friend by your side? You got lost in your own thoughts for a moment, cursing yourself for letting things get this bad, for putting Luke before your friendship with Michael, who’d always been there for you. Until now.

You felt tears welling in your eyes as you stated at the back of Michael’s head. You didn’t know what to say; you weren’t sure there was anything you  _could_ say.

He turned around to look at you again, his hands in his pockets as he stared down at you.

“Okay,” you said quickly, wiping away your tears as you stood to leave. “I’ll just—”

Michael burst out laughing, the sound of it scaring you as it broke through the stillness in the air.

“I was just kidding,” he laughed, reaching for you and pulling you closer to him.

“Michael, what the hell?” You asked, punching him in the shoulder as he tried to wrap his arms around you. “I hate you, how could you do that to me?” You let him hug you before you finally caved, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and burying your face in his soft, black tee shirt.

“I’m sorry,” he said, hugging you tightly. “I didn’t expect you to start crying like a little baby.”

“Shut up.” You pulled back to look up at him. “You’re important to me, Michael. I can’t believe you would doubt that.”

“Well, given recent events, can you blame me?”

“No, I’m sorry.” You reached for one of his hands, holding it in both of yours. “That’s why I’m here, though. I miss you and I want things to go back to how they were.”

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen overnight,” he said, putting an arm around your shoulders. “But I’m willing to make an effort.”

“That’s all I want,” you hugged him again, glad to finally,  _really_  have your friend back.

-/-

You were glad that things with Michael were finally back on track.

They still weren’t quite how they used to be, but you were glad to have him around. He even hung out with you and Luke, and the two of them were actually starting to get along.

Tonight, the three of you were at a party at one of your friend’s houses. His parents were out of town, and he invited the three of you to come over.

You couldn’t remember how long you’d been there, but it was long enough for Michael to have had enough beers to be trying to dance to the music as you and Luke watched, trying not to laugh.

You had also been drinking, but Luke had offered to stay sober so that he could drive the three of you home after the party was over.

The three of you were currently in the backyard, sitting around a small table while you and Michael drank and talked.

“I’m gonna go see what Calum’s up to,” Luke said before he got up and dropped a quick kiss on the top of your head before he went back into the party, leaving you and Michael alone.

“Sssso,” Michael drawled as he turned to you, drawing out the ‘s’ sound as he did so. “Things are going well with him?”

“Huh?” You asked, looking up from your cup. Michael nodded his head in the direction Luke had gone and you realized he’d said something. “Could you repeat that?”

He laughed and moved to the chair next to yours, bumping your shoulders together. “How are things with Luke?”

“Oh.” You stared into the bottom of your cup and shrugged. “They’re okay.”

“Only okay?” Michael asked, smirking at you. He always got a little cocky when he was drinking, but you loved seeing him so relaxed and carefree.

“No,” you leaned over and nudged his shoulder with yours in return, “they’re good.”

“Good. That’s what I like to hear.” He sat back in his chair and drained his cup before setting it down on the table. “That’s it for me. I’d like to keep my wits about me, if you know what I mean.”

You laughed, setting your own cup down and turning to face him. “I’m so glad that you’re here with me, Michael. I missed you so much when we were fighting, I—”

“I know, (Y/N). Me, too.” He gave you a small smile and you returned it, reaching for one of his hands.

“So, what about you?”

He turned to you, his green eyes sparkling with laughter. “What about me what?”

“Anything new happening in the romance department?”

Michael made a scoffing sound and then gave a short laugh. “What do  _you_ think?”

“I think,” you started, picking up your cup and taking a sip just to make him wait, “you’re amazing and you’ll find someone who’s perfect for you.”

“What if I already have?” He asked, his face growing serious as his eyes watched yours.

“Michael—”

“Shit, never mind!” He cut you off, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “Forget I said anything, it’s just the beer talking. I know you’re with Luke and you’re happy so I’m happy for you.”

“I don’t know what to say,” you told him, feeling helpless as he stared back at you.

“You don’t have to say anything. It’s not your fault that I fell for you, it’s mine.”

The two of you sat in silence, listening to the crickets, before you spoke again. “Why do you love me?” You found yourself asking before you could even think about it.

He cracked a half smile, turning his gaze away from yours. He shrugged, staring down at his hands. “Because you’re beautiful. And you make me laugh all the time, even when I don’t feel like it’s possible. You look out for me, and you’ve always had my back. Your laugh brightens my whole day and when I’m with you I feel so happy, so  _whole_. I don’t know, it’s stupid. I’m just rambling now and I can’t really say exactly why I love you, but I do, and as much as I wish it would, it’s just not going away.”

“Michael,” you said his name, mostly because you didn’t know what else to say. He turned to look at you and you could see the fear that was just barely shining in his eyes. Before you were even sure what you were doing, you leaned forward and placed one of your hands on his cheek. He leaned into your hand, smiling sadly against it before you closed the space between the two of you and kissed him.

Michael stiffened, clearly shocked by your actions, but reacted quickly, moving closer to you and cupping your face in his hands. The angle was somewhat awkward, but Michael held you close and you felt his hand run down your back as you broke the kiss to take a quick breath before kissing him again.

You had no idea how long you were kissing Michael, but when you finally broke away, you were both breathing hard and his lips were even redder than normal.

When he opened his eyes to look at you, you felt the realization of what you’d just done sink in.

“Oh my god,” you covered your face with your hands and rested your elbows on the table in front of you. “I can’t believe I just did that. I’m so sorry, Michael.”

You felt his hand on your back again, this time rubbing over it in a soothing pattern. “It’s alright, (Y/N).”

“No, it’s not,” you insisted, turning to look at him. “You have feelings for me, and I have a boyfriend but here I am, kissing you, and messing everything up!”

“You haven’t messed anything up, we’ve been drinking—”

“We both know that neither of us is drunk, okay?” You told him, leveling him with a hard glare. “I knew what I was doing.”

“And so did I when I kissed you back. We’re both at fault, here.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” you gave a short laugh, leaning back in your chair.

“It wasn’t meant to.” He shrugged. “Listen, we both kissed each other. We made a mistake that isn’t going to happen again and it doesn’t have to be more than it is.”

“I’ve made everything worse, haven’t I?” You asked, feeling tears begin to prick at your eyes.

“No,” he laughed softly, taking your hand. “Your best friend was feeling down so you tried to make him feel better. That’s all. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact,” he let go of your hand and got up from the table, “it never happened, okay?”

You nodded and took a deep breath, although you knew that there was more to it than that. Something had shifted within you and you couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but you knew that everything was definitely  _not_  okay.

“I’m gonna go see if Luke’s ready to go yet, it’s late.” Michael told you as he walked away from the table.

You took in a deep breath and held it for a while, trying your hardest to think of anything other than the way Michael’s lips felt pressed against yours.


End file.
